The Fall of the House of Sonny Part Two: The Next Morning
by Gillen1962
Summary: The Morning After the Show Down at the Metro Court Port Charles Reacts to Sonny's past sins


The sunlight came in the large frame windows and woke Molly Davis from her sleep. She stretched and looked out over her room at Wyndemere.

After the scene at the Metro Court last night, she had gone with Peter August back to Crusader office and written the article on Karen Wexler and her relationship with Molly's Uncle Sonny Corinthos, the mob boss of Port Charles.

After Sonny, his wife Carly and the ever-faithful Jason had marched out of the Metro Court. Molly had been in a bit of a state of shock. Her lip was bleeding from the smack that Carly had given her. Her Uncle Valentin had handed her his handkerchief.

"Here Molly, hold this against it, to stem the bleeding."

"Molly" her Mother Attorney Alexis Davis, Valentin's half sister had said "Come on let's go home."

Molly was taken aback. "Home, Mom, I need to go write this story."

"You are not writing anything, young lady."

Jaspar Jax, her mother's best friend and the owner of Aurora media, the mother company of Crimson Magazine looked puzzled. "Alexis, you know she has to write this."

"I know no such thing. I will not have some long-ago incident jeopardize her safety." Alexis snapped.

"So, you admit that Sonny is dangerous?" Scott Baldwin, the late Karen Wexler's father commented.

"I admit that this is a story from the past and digging up bones is no good for anyone." Alexis had said.

Molly shook her head. "No sorry Mom, no. I need to write this I will be home later."

She brushed past her mother. Peter August the owner/publisher of the Crusader followed her out of the Metro Court and to his offices.

Scott Baldwin shook his head sadly at Alexis and then walked over to his Son Franco and daughter in law Liz. "Do you have a minute to talk about your sister?" He asked haltingly.

Franco nodded his head and the trio retreated to a table.

Alexis looked at Jax with pleading eyes but there was little he could do, frankly there was little he wanted to do. "I'm sorry Alexis he said."

"I will not forget this" She said to him as she turned to leave.

Valentin came along side Jax. The two men did not think much of each other.

"This could destroy Sonny." Valentin said

Jax nodded. "Yes, I suppose that is not good news for you, you will lose your ally in your battle against me."

Valentin took a deep breath. "Jax, I may not think highly of you, and I repeat my command to stay away from Nina, but you must believe that if I knew that Sonny was capable of what Molly is accusing him of, I would never have allied myself with him. "

Jax laughed "So being a murdering thug is fine but …"

Valentin cut him off "But molesting a young girl is over the line, even in our cutthroat world."

Jax nodded.

"I do not think Molly should go to her Mother's home." Valentin said.

Jax thought for a moment, he did not think that Sonny would physically hurt Molly but there was a distinct possibility that he would harass her to no end. "I agree."

"She can stay at Wyndemere" Valentin said.

"Really, I did not know you cared so much for Molly."

"She is a Cassadine."

"So was Nicholas."

"And that was business" Valentin said. "And between family. I will be damn if I let a peasant like Corinthos near my niece."

Two hours later Molly put the finishing touches on her news story. Peter gave his approval and the presses of the newspaper ran. Molly's story would be the headline in the morning's newspaper. The Crusader would run the lead story with a longer more in-depth article to appear later in the month in Jax and Nina's Crimson Magazine

Molly had seen Jax and Valentin come in while she was writing but she had ignored them to finish her task. Now that she was done, she said. "Why are you guys here?"

Jax spoke to her softly. "Molly we do not think it is wise for you to go back to your Mother's house tonight."

"Why not?" Molly asked.

"Molly, Sonny is very angry and while I do not think he would hurt you; he could make your evening very uncomfortable. "

"I need to talk to Kristina before this hits the streets" Molly said.

Jax smiled weakly. "You don't think that Sonny has already done so?"

"She needs to hear my side."

"Your side will be in the papers in the morning Molly." Peter said. "If your words do not let her see the truth then she simply needs time to process."

"I guess I could get a room somewhere." Molly said after thinking for a moment.

Valentin spoke up "I have a better idea come to Spoon island and stay in your room at Wyndemere."

Molly laughed. "My room?"

Valentin put his hand on her shoulder. "Molly we are no longer such a large family that I cannot keep a room for all the remaining Cassadines on our Island."

Molly was taken aback. She had never really thought of herself as a Cassadine before. There was despite the dark history of the family some thing appealing about it. "Okay, thank you."

Scott Baldwin cracked his neck and pulled himself up to a sitting position. It took him a minute to remember where he was, the couch at Franco and Liz's. The three had spoken long into the night and Liz had insisted that Scotty rest on the couch rather than drive home in the emotional state he had been in. Scott began to object, but the opportunity to draw closer to Franco the son he never knew he had till only a short while ago and the distress he felt at having had to relive Karen's life and death led him to say yes.

He reached for his cell phone and texted his daughter Serena. "Call me when you can, we should talk".

Scotty was rubbing his face with his hand when Liz came in from the Kitchen and handed him a cup of coffee.

"How are you doing?" She said in her soft voice.

"Ahh you know me, Lizzie, I'm fine, nothing a case that pays real money wouldn't cure."

Liz smiled; she was always amused when Scott complained about making money. He was she knew one of the richest men in the state, the money left to him by his late wife and Serena's mother Dominque rivaling the Quartermaines in value.

Scott took a sip of the coffee then said sheepishly. "Have you seen the paper?"

Liz shook her head. "No, it's likely on the front stoop though."

She got up and walked over to the door. She opened it and was startled to see Ava Jerome standing there. Ava handed Liz her paper. "I think you are looking for this" She said brusquely.

"Thank you, how can I help you?" Liz said. Liz had no reason to dislike the older woman, but there were so many stories about her, and her personality was always abrasive and hard.

"I was wondering if Franco has seen Scott. I am looking all over for him."

Scott was suddenly standing right behind Liz. "I'm right here Ava, how can I help you?"

The slap was so loud if made Elizabeth jump back.

"You son of a bitch" said Ava. "You knew this about Sonny, you knew this when I lost custody of Avery and you said nothing!"

Scott rubbed the side of his face. "Ahh Ava, let me explain. Please."

Ava brushed past Elizabeth and into the house. "Oh, you will explain alright Scott Baldwin. You will explain."

Scotty looked at Elizabeth and shrugged his shoulders.

"Well" said Liz sheepishly. "I think I will go and get the boys ready for school. Ava make yourself at home, in my home."

Drew Cain sat in the living room of the Quartermaine mansion sipping coffee and reading the newspaper. He kept shaking his head over the story on the front page. Drew had a complicated history with Sonny. Several years ago he had been implanted with his twin brother Jason's memories, so on the one hand he had warm and fraternal feeling for Sonny, on the other, he had in actuality not been Sonny's hitman and friend but a decorated Navy Seal dedicated to justice and truth, that portion of him was repulsed by Sonny's business and even more repulsed by this news.

Sam had sent him a text a few minutes before asking if he could keep their daughter Scout for a few days while this matter sorted itself out. He had readily agreed and since Scout's half-brother/first cousin Danny was already here at the Q mansion he had suggested she drop the child off here.

He was reading the article for the third time when Monica Quartermaine, current matriarch of the Quartermaine clan, and he and Jason's adoptive mother walked in.

Monica smiled at Drew; he always gave her a warm feeling. He and Jason were her husband Alan's sons with Susan Moore, and while it was Jason she had raised, she could not love or respect Drew anymore if she had bore him herself. Monica was the Chief of Staff at General Hospital and one of the nation's most noted cardiac surgeons.

"I see you have seen the paper." She said as she poured herself coffee and sat down on the couch next to Drew.

Drew nodded. "Yes, this is …this is very complicated for me. I knew all of this. It is part of Jason's memories. I remember Karen. She was a dear friend."

Monica smiled. "She was more than that, she was Jason's first real girlfriend, and Alan's protégé"

Drew nodded. "And yet all these years this…."

Monica shook her head. "Yes."

"You knew as well?"

"Yes."

Drew sipped his coffee. "Mom, my thoughts on this are complicated, so tied in with how Jason feels about Sonny, but and I mean no disrespect, you knew?"

Monica sighed. "Yes. Drew I am going to tell you something no one else knows."

Drew sat back on the couch. "Go ahead."

"You know I loved your father, but in those days both Alan and I, well we were not always faithful to each other. Karen left town, with Jagger soon after this, before it really became general knowledge, right before Scott found out she was his daughter. After she left town, her mother Meg and Alan had a bit of a fling."

Drew was not surprised to hear this, he wondered when the actions of the Qs in that era had become typical to him.

"Anyway, Alan was going through a tough time, and he always did have a bit of a temper. He walked in on Roy Conway abusing Meg."

"Conway was Karen's stepfather, right?"

"Common law, but yes you can use that term, he is the man who molested her as a child, the original sin that Sonny exploited. Anyway, there was a fight and Alan…well…Alan killed him."

"Oh?"

Monica went on. "Alan got rid of the body. No one knew. In those days Sean Donnelly was the Police Commissioner. Sean and I had a past of our own. He was getting very close to solving the murder. I asked him. Right in this room, to, for me, let it go. I pointed out that Roy was not someone anyone would miss anyway. And so, as a favor to me, Sean listed it as unsolved, and the whole matter went away."

Monica stopped and sipped her coffee. "Frankly, while Alan was alive, I was always fearful that if the Karen matter was brought up to Sonny."

"Then Roy's death would also be re-opened?" Drew said.

"Yes, and Sean and Alan and I would all be in trouble."

"I see." Said Drew. He did understand, he did not necessarily agree but he saw the point.

"By the time Alan died, well Karen herself was dead, and well, my relationship with Jason is tenuous at best. I knew, I know now, that in any choice between Sonny and myself, he will choose Sonny."

Drew was about to say something when Olivia Quartermaine stormed into the room followed by her husband Ned. "Stay away from me Ned. Stay away. I will not believe this nonsense about Sonny. I will not."

At a military base just north of Riyad in Saudi Arabia, Captain Serena Baldwin sat behind her desk. She looked for the thousandth time at the text message from her father. She needed to text him back, she had news of her own that she wanted to share. But of course, she could not share it. For now, the case she was working on was top secret.

Serena shuffled some papers, looking for a folder. Her office door opened, and her commanding officer stepped in.

She jumped to her feet. "Sir"

Major Matthew Manson waved his hand. "At ease Serena, sit down relax."

He pulled out the chair on the far side of the desk. Once he sat Serena returned to her seat.

He smiled at her. "I am going to miss you Captain."

"Miss me?" She asked puzzled.

He pushed an envelope across the desk to her. "You are being re-assigned. Stateside, Fort Drum, near your hometown."

Serena was puzzled. "But why Sir and what about the case?"

The Major shrugged. "That is the thing Baldwin, it seems your case is going with you."

"With me. The prisoner is being transferred. On whose authority, yours?"

The Major laughed. "Oh no this comes from much higher up the food chain. Directly from the joint chiefs, via the United Nations Central Command at the request of the Director of the World Security Bureau."

Serena could not believe her ears. "Frisco Jones?"

The Major cocked an eyebrow. "You know him?"

Serena nodded "Yes Sir, he is kind of my Uncle, my mother Lucy was married to his brother many years ago."

The Major got up; Serena did the same. "Well then you and Director Jones and our prisoner will all have a nice little reunion when you get back to upstate New York, you leave in 72 hours. Good Luck to you Captain."

He saluted and she returned the respect. He left.

Serena sat back down trying to process her orders. Back to Port Charles. This case was going to be very complicated.

Monica had gotten Drew a second cup of coffee and the two sat on the couch watching the war between Olivia and Ned.

"Look Olivia I was here in Port Charles when the incident with Karen happened. There is simply no denying what Sonny did."

"Look Ned, you just don't know Sonny like I do. He would never do any thing like that. He was very clear that he was trying to help that girl. "

"Some help. Taking an underage girl to bed." Ned snapped.

"Sonny would never!" Olivia shouted.

Monica smiled and said sweetly. "How old were you when Dante was born Olivia?"

"That was different." Olivia fired back.

"Sixteen?" Monica said. "And Sonny was eighteen. In this state that is statutory rape."

"Sonny did not rape me!" Olivia shouted.

"No, No I am sure it was consensual." Monica said. "But I would also bet that one of the reasons you never told your family that Sonny was Dante's father had very little to do with Connie and a lot to do with your Father feeling differently about consent and his underage daughter."

Olivia began to say something, pointing her finger at Monica, but instead just stormed out of the room.

Ned shook his head. "Thank you, Monica, what that fire needed was some gasoline thrown on it."

He raced out of the room after his wife.

Monica sat back down next to Drew and sipped her coffee. Drew buried his face in his hands and tried very hard not to smirk.

Scotty handed Ava a cup of coffee and sat down next to her in Liz and Franco's living room.

"How could you Scott?" Ava asked torn between pleading and anger.

"Look, Ava, it is a complicated situation, I had a lot of reasons for not saying anything over the years, and in your case one very good one."

"And that was?"

Scott shrugged. "I had no proof. I mean I could have testified but it would have been my word against Sonny's and so it would have been a wash. "

"But Molly has tapes?" Ava said.

Scott shook his head. "Yes, so now when I tell the story I have the proof to back it up. Sonny can try to spin this any way he wants but the tapes tell the story."

Ava sat back on the couch. "So, now if we went back into court?"

Scott smiled. "There is a good chance you would get custody of your daughter."

Ava stood up "Great file the papers."

"Now, now wait a minute ava, I can't represent you."

"Why not?"

"Because loopy you are going to need me to testify. "

Ava sighed. "Well there is no way Alexis or Diana are going to take this case."

"No." Scott said. "But I know someone who might."

Ava sat back down as Scott took out his phone.

"Nora, Scott Baldwin, look I am with Ava Jerome and we were wondering if you would be interested in handling a custody case here in Port Charles…. what…oh really…. yes. Yes, that would be great. Thanks Nora…"

Scott hung up.

"Well" Said Ava.

Scotty laughed. "Well apparently she is all ready on her way to Port Charles to handle a custody matter and would be delighted to take you on as a client as well."

"Wonderful." Ava said. "Did she say who else she is representing."

Scott grinned. "Jaspar Jacks."

Carly poured her fifth cup of coffee of the morning. While she and Jason had followed Sonny out of the Metro Court last night, he quickly out paced them and had vanished into the night. She and Jason had waited till after midnight at the house and then Jason had set out to try to find him. He had been out all night and now most of the morning, while she waited at home, in hopes he would show up.

Carly believed Sonny. She always believed Sonny. If he said he was helping that girl, then that was what he was doing. She knew that in her heart. She was furious at Molly and Alexis. Why could that woman not control her children.

The doorbell rang. She could hear it across the house. She took another sip of coffee as Max stepped into the room.

"Mrs. C we have visitors, I … I can't keep them out they have warrants"

"Warrants?" Carly said "Concerning?" 

A middle age woman with her hair pulled back in a bun and stern eyeglasses stalked into Carly's Kitchen. Jaspar Jacks right behind her and behind him two Port Charles Police Officers.

"Jax what is going on here?" Carly snapped.

"Mrs. Corinthos, I am Ellen Paige Darcy from the New York State Bureau of Family services. I have here a court order signed this morning, on an emergency motioned filed with Judge Walker of the Family Court by Attorney Nora Buchanan on behalf of Jaspar Jacks, to remove the minor child Joslyn Jacks from your custody to Mr. Jacks temporary custody immediately."

"What? Jax are you insane."

Jax looked sad as he said. "Carly, please do not make this harder. You know as well as I do that under the circumstances Joss cannot stay here with Sonny."

"Sonny? What the hell did Sonny do?"

Jax looked away.

"That crap that Molly is selling?"

Jax sighed. "Carly it is not crap. I have seen the videos, they are up on the Crusaders web site, you should look at them. Look I don't want to do this. If you move out, back to your own house, then I will happily let Joss live there, but as long as you are living with Sonny, I can't allow it not till he gets some help."

"Sonny doesn't need any help!"

"Then Joss cannot stay here. Please go get her, and let's not make a scene in front of her."

Carly slammed her coffee cup down on the counter. "This is not over Jacks."

As Carly started to leave the room Miss Darcy's phone buzzed. She answered it "Yes Yes your honor, we are here, oh, yes. Yes, Of course, no no problem at all since we are already on the premises."

She hung up and looked at Carly.

"What?" Snapped Carly.

"Mrs. Corinthos please also turn over the minor Child Avery Corinthos as well, Judge Walker has issued a similar order, also requested by Attorney Buchannan on behalf of Miss Ava Jerome. Full hearings on both cases are scheduled for the day after tomorrow."

Molly Davis had little idea the storm her article was causing across Port Charles. She sat in the main dining room of Wyndemere eating breakfast and working on the extended article. Her Uncle Valentin came in the room and greeted her.

"Good Morning Molly did you sleep well?"

"Yes, yes thank you. Thank you so much for allowing me to stay here last night."

Valentin shook his head. "Molly Wyndemere is the Cassadine family home. I may control the family's finances, but we are all Cassadines. You are welcome here anytime."

Molly smiled. She had never really explored this side of her heritage. Her mother had hated Mikkos Cassadine and lived in fear of Helena, so she had raised Molly and her three sisters far from them.

Yet, she had always allowed them around Uncle Sonny and surely his world and life were equally as dangerous. Violence had swirled around them her whole life, mostly because of Sonny and Jason, though she had to admit her own father Ric, Sonny's half brother had caused his fair share of trouble as well.

Valentin looked at her kindly. If Molly had not often thought of him as family, he felt the same way as her. He had spent most of his life clawing his way to the top of the Cassadine family food chain, and while his priority remained staying there and proving for the future of his daughter Charlotte, he now had the luxury of reaching out to other family members.

Alexis, his half sister was a lost cause, she had been raised to fear and hate him and his handling of the Nicholas Problem likely precluded any reconciliation on that front. Similarly, his great-nephew Spencer hated him for what he had, had to do to his father.

Molly's sisters Kristina and Samantha and Samantha's children were so deep in the thuggish world of Sonny Corinthos that Valentin did not see a pathway towards them becoming worthy Cassadines but this girl, Alexis youngest had a spark in her. She had a lightness and joy that was very unCassadine like but there was a resolve of steel that he had seen the past twenty-four hours that would make her grandfather Mikkos proud and send shivers down the spine of her Step Grandmother Helena.

This girl she could be a Cassadine and an ally and heaven knew that on occasion Valentin could use allies.

"Oh, Molly before I forget. I just sent the launch across the bay; your friend TJ has requested to come visit and I thought you would want to see him." 

Molly's eyes lite up. "Oh yes thank you…. Uncle…thank you."

Valentin smiled. "You are more than welcome dear. I will tell Cook to prepare another breakfast tray, I am sure your friend will be hungry."

Alexis Davis was exhausted, angry and distraught all at once. She had court this morning though and now having located her wayward daughter at Wyndemere of all places she had to get her game face on be and be prepared to represent her client as best as she could. She was throwing on her jacket as she passed through her living room.

She was met by her middle child. Sonny's daughter Kristina. "MOTHER, explain this!" Krissy demanded.

Alexis cursed herself. Damn. She had been so concentrated on Molly that she had all but forgot Kristina. Then again, she thought to herself wasn't that always the problem. Kristina was everyone's middle child. Sonny paid more attention to Michael, Dante and the late Morgan. She paid more attention to Sam and Molly and Kristina always felt short changed.

That had turned her into a spoiled self-entitled brat.

"Kristina, I, I don't know where to begin. It is simply another storm in your father's life. You know as well as I do that, he will get through it."

"A storm caused by Molly. Why is she trying to destroy my Father? "

"Kristina, I am sure that is not Molly's intention."

"Did Ric put her up to this, he always hated Daddy."

Barely an hour of her life had gone by in the past twenty years when Alexis had not regretted having two daughters by two brothers. Brothers who hated each other. She hated that her oldest Sam had repeated her mistake.

"Kristina I can assure you that Ric had nothing to do with this."

"Where is she?"

"Molly?"

"Yes, Molly."

"Wyndemere"

Sonny Corinthos knocked on the door of what had once been his apartment with the full force of his fist. "Molly it is Uncle Sonny let me in Honey."

Sonny rapped on the door again. "Molly let me in now! I just want to talk."

Sonny stood by the door for a moment. Then stepped back and kicked it as hard as he could the door shattered from his hinges. He stepped in. "Molly! Molly!"

The voice in his head confirmed what his eyes saw, she was not there. Sonny fumed. He lashed out breaking chairs overturning boxes, destroying papers. For what seemed like hours but burned as fast as minutes Sonny destroy what had once been his home. Tearing cabinets from the wall, kicking doors off hinges.

Finally, his rage spent, and his body exhausted he slumped in the corner. "Damn it Molly I just want to talk"

"Ah go sit in the closet you little wuss." Said the burly man who appeared before him.

"Deke?"

His Stepfather the abusive Deke Woods stood in front of him clear as day.

"You're dead" Sonny said.

Deke laughed. "So, I am. Yet here I am Sonny, just like I always am every time you start crying like a baby."

"Go away." yelled Sonny

Deke laughed. "Boy, I just came by to say how proud I am of you."

"Proud?"

"Sure boy, what you did to that girl. That showed you to be my son. The man I created."

"No. No I was helping her. I was helping her."

"Sure, you were boy, helping her take her clothes off for men, helping her to snort drugs up her noise, helping her into your bed." Deke's laughter filled the room. Sonny Struggled to get to his feet.

"No" He swung at the ghost, his fist passing through it. "No. It wasn't like that."

"Boy you have told that lie so often you believe it."

"It is the truth."

Deke roared with laughter then faded away.

Sonny dropped exhausted into Molly's desk chair.

"Sonny, you know that those tapes tell the truth" said a far softer voice.

Sonny opened his tired eyes.

"Stone…." He stammered.

"Hiya Sonny, you don't look so good."

"Stone" Sonny pleaded. "You have to tell them the truth. Tell them what happened between Karen and I."

Stone looked so sad. "Sonny I have told them the truth. That is what I told on those tapes all those years ago. "

"No"

"Sonny, I tried to tell you, you were wrong. Don't you remember, it was the only time you ever hit me."

"No." Screamed Sonny. "Stop lying I never hit you. I never touched her. I never did. I am Sonny Corinthos damn it."

"And you're a better man then me?" Said Deke suddenly back and laughing louder.

"Yes."

"No, No Sonny boy, you are the same monster."

"NOOOOOOO."

Sonny drew the gun from his pocket and fired at the apparition the bullets slamming into the wall behind him.

At that moment Jason raced up the steps and into the loft. His gun Drawn.

"Sonny." Jason shouted as he crashed into the room.

Sonny lay on the floor curled up in a fetal position. "I never touched her. I never touched her." He repeated over and over again.


End file.
